Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has made passionate arguments for protection for his nation from the air, asking “how many people must be blown up, how many legs, arms, heads must be torn off and fly away?” before supporters of Ukraine are compelled to “close the skies” and instigate a no-fly zone? This call has been repeated by protesters, politicians and pundits around the world.
No-fly zones are designed to deny the use of airspace – and engage with aircraft, usually with hostile intent, that refuse to comply and fly into them. They involve the surveillance of an area of airspace to detect any incursions into it by aircraft. They also require combat fighter aircraft with the capability to intercept any incursions; these interceptors can try to escort enemy aircraft out of the zone or, as a last resort, shoot them down.
